Abstract [en]

Previous research suggests an interplay between students’ well-being, learning activities, and learning outcomes. This study explores the linkages between students’ approaches to learning, perceived stress, as well as expected and final grades within a sample of first-semester psychology students at a Swedish university. The results suggest that students adopting surface approaches to learning perceive higher levels of stress, while strategic approaches seem associated with lower levels of perceived stress. There was no association between deep approaches to learning and perceived stress. Students adopting surface approaches or reporting high levels of perceived stress expected lower course grades than students adopting deep or strategic approaches to learning. Students adopting surface approaches or perceiving high levels of stress typically overestimated their final course grades. The highest levels of perceived stress were reported by students who achieved quite good, but not excellent grades. The discussion relates these findings to the potential influence of various factors such as perceived demands and feelings of control. Possible practical applications of the findings are also discussed.

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Conference

16th Biennial EARLI Conference for Research on Learning and Instruction, Limassol, Cyprus, August 25-29, 2015.

Note

Maria Öhrstedt was supported by a PhD position with funding provided by the Faculty of Social Sciences at Stockholm University to Petra Lindfors. Conference participation was supported by CeSam, The Centre for Teaching and Learning in the Social Sciences, Stockholm University.